NEW YORK — A Metro-North employee has resigned amid an overtime abuse investigation that revealed he brought a woman onto private railroad property for an “intimate rendezvous,” officials said Monday.
The MTA machinist, which is a safety-sensitive position, allegedly brought the woman onto private Metro-North property multiple times during his overtime shifts.
Investigators also accused the worker of frequently taking extended lunch breaks, some of which stretched for more than two hours, and using his MTA vehicle for personal matters. Both allegations were also tied to visits with the same woman, according to MTA officials.
The investigation was handled by the MTA’s Office of the Inspector General and evidence was obtained via surveillance and GPS records.
According to OIG, the machinist created a safety risk by bringing the woman onto Metro-North property. As a safety-sensitive employee, even a momentary lapse of attention could result in “disastrous or irremediable consequences,” officials said.
MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said the agency had suspended the worker without pay and he subsequently resigned.
“Metro-North has zero tolerance for theft of time or appropriation of resources for personal use,” Donovan said. “We are reviewing ways to improve accountability.”
